Upon the Fire
by Belle of the Asylum
Summary: I know that I’ve gone wrong with my life, everything I did is wrong, and nothing I did can ever be changed to something better. But I'm right about one thing and that is loving you." SasuSaku


_Standard Disclaimer Applied_

_SasuSaku  
_

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The serene blowing of the wind failed to alleviate the grotesque battlefield sprawled upon the blood-stained earth. Two figures, hardly able to support themselves with their own two legs, shakily stood up and charged yet again with equal amount of force molded on their fist. Both were able to flung their clenched fists towards each other at the same time and the chakra, unable to overpower the force of the other, backfired and blasted them both approximately back to where they landed previously.

Sakura Haruno willed herself to sit up straight despite the pain wracking in every bone of her body. She idled in that position for a while as her breathing became ragged and barely enough to provide proper oxygenation throughout her body.

Sasuke Uchiha stole his strength from his ego as displaying relevance of weakness in front of a girl disgusted him. But he admittedly said moments ago how well his former teammate has improved during the stagnant seven years they've been apart.

He slowly approached the trembling body of the rosette with his katana drawn out on his right hand, though aware of the fact that said rosette can barely hold her kunai and lunge it at him. Sakura was trying her best to root her feet to the ground and murder dead the body of the ruthless criminal before her. He was no longer the Sasuke she knew seven years ago. His arrogance and stubbornness turned into something far more bitter and dark and murderous. His perspective of the whole world was strongly entwined with his seething desire for vengeance; it was as though every living organism's life was indebted to him. No, this was not the boy she has been teamed with long years ago. This was a different Sasuke Uchiha.

"You disappoint me, Haruno." He hissed with disgust, "Weakling as you always are."

"Ha! Look who's talking, idiot?" Sakura spoke in a sing-song tone as she shakily stood up.

Irritated by what she said, Sasuke, in a blink of an eye, slammed the rosette upon a tree, creating a shallow dent upon its trunk. Blood flowed from her mouth but she evilly smiled, nonetheless. "Be careful, Sasuke, you might uproot the tree." She mockingly said as she was able to discreetly stab a kunai into Sasuke's abdominal area. She twisted the kunai within Sasuke, earning a pained grunt from the well-known missing-nin. But, like Sakura, a mocking and devious smile crept on his handsome features. "I can finish you with one more hit." Sasuke cockily said as his hands strongly gripped the rosette's smooth and blood-tainted neck. Sakura was unmoved by what he said and twisted the kunai more as Sasuke increasingly tightened his grip. Blood was flowing from both their mouths.

"All this is merely a battle with guts." Sakura chokingly spoke. "And it seems you'll be losing."

Sasuke smirked as he tightly clenched the fist of his free hand and lunge it at Sakura…who miraculously was still able to dodge it. She laid face down on the damp earth and being able to hear moans of pain from her severed former teammate, she smiled confidently-confident with his defeat. She faced his falling figure while she was still lying on the ground, unable to bring strength to her legs. Sasuke placed his hand on the area where the kunai dug deep into his body. His onyx orbs flamed red as his gaze was directed on the kunoichi smiling mockingly at him. "Don't be so sure." He calmly spoke as he approached the emasculated rosette.

Sakura hurried to get up as lying on the soil was of a great disadvantage, but her legs could no longer support her. She sighed in defeat, but no image of fear marred her face. The sight of brown earth was quickly covered with a pair of black sandals. She couldn't help but place another smile, ready and even anticipating a severe blow. But that grin on her face was quickly erased as, instead of actually hitting her, Sasuke carried her on his shoulder. "What on hell are you doing, Uchiha?!" She angrily protested as she tried to escape his grip.

"Stop squirming and I might just spare your life." Sasuke spoke imperatively, but all it made Sakura was to struggle more. _I don't believe it. Despite his trembling figure and his deep wound, he's still able to carry me. Inhuman!_ Sakura thought. But no sooner did a minute pass, Sakura fell faint upon his broad shoulders. This time, it was his turn to smirk cockily.

She woke up in the tight grip of ropes all around her body and in the forest of unknown. The bright red fire cast light upon the anger on her face. She struggled free but quickly stopped as she heard a mocking laughter across her.

"Still hoping to escape?" Facing the man who spoke, she threw sharp dagger-glances at him.

"To hell with you, Uchiha!" She cursed at him.

"What happened to 'Sasuke-kun'? Already erased from your tongue?" He asked in the most resolute manner.

"The name 'Sasuke-kun' has become a great taboo for me, a horror to utter it. I no longer hold the same foolish and fooled feelings, you bastard."

Sasuke sarcastically stared at her, as if knowing that she lied. "Fine by me."

"Why don't you just finish me already, Uchiha?"

"You're not worth it and you'll never be." Sasuke slowly spoke as anger weakly seethed out of his mouth. Sakura laughed, as though what she heard was a funny, cruel joke. But, perhaps, it was true. Maybe she still is an epitome of feebleness in his eyes.

"No, Sasuke. It's not the fact I'm not worthy. It's the fact that you're guilty." She glared at him in an attempt to intimidate him. Unfortunately, she sounded as though she was convincing herself more than proving Sasuke wrong. Does he really feel at fault about killing her?

"Guilty?" He asked as an amused chuckle escaped the paleness of his lips. "What guilt can overcome me, anymore?"

She thought she heard mockery in his words, but quickly realized he sounded, in the slightest bit…ashamed. _Impossible! A heartless brute like him could never feel ashamed._ Her thoughts couldn't reassure her. Not after he stood up, giving a heavy sigh, and started walking out of the proximity they shared. His actions baffled her. And angered her at some point.

"Hey, you jerk! Come back here! Don't you damn leave me here." She threw in hysterics as she realized she was still tied by ropes in an unknown forest.

"Quit being a histrionic chit. I'm not going to leave you out here. I'll be back with more fire log."

He left her in surprise. Something about his words made her heart beat fast and her cheeks grow crimson red. It was as if she knew what were the words he left unspoken, the things that he truly meant. But going over to her logical side, he might as well be just deceiving her.

_I'm not going to leave you. I'll be back. _Unable to control the emotional dam inside her, her tears escaped the confines of her green orbs. She doesn't really understand why she cried. Something about his words and the way he treated her made emotions in her run high. It was as if he was in denial, misunderstood, confused. She felt as though somehow she has linked herself in his emotions. That he was merely seeking consolation. And as much as the idea was surreal, intuition told her to believe in it.

Sasuke arrived with bafflement etched on his face as Sakura's tears streamed from her eyes. He wasn't really the type who likes seeing melodrama in front of him nor someone who patiently deals with it.

"Damn it, Sakura! What happened now?" As much as he sounded harsh, inside, he was feeling sorry...even if he didn't know why she was weeping.

"Why do you do this to me? Why did you spare my life and tie me here? Just kill me already!" She shouted back at him which, in return, confused him more.

"I needed to talk to you" The harshness in his voice softened into genuine concern. He understood he hurt her in their encounter hours ago, but there were things he had to tell her.

Sakura kept crying, no words escaping the intensity of her tears. As a matter of fact, she doesn't really know what to retort. She swore years ago she'd never love this man before her ever again, but now that he spoke that way, her feelings for him resurfaced in the most painful and frustrating of ways.

Sasuke impatiently dropped the log in his hands on to the brown forest floor. He took the vacant space across her and stared inquisitively at Sakura, trying to decode her thoughts. When nothing worked, he chose to ask.

"Have I said something wrong?"

"Everything you ever do is wrong!" Sakura didn't mean for the words to come out that way. She simply was drowned in her own frustrations and for Sasuke to have asked that infuriated her. But she knew it was wrong to say that, even if he was a criminal, he still was a person. As she saw Sasuke's concerned features change to irritation, she apologized quickly.

"I know. I know that I've gone wrong with my life, everything I did is wrong, and nothing I did can ever be changed to something better. My apologies will never overpower my atrocities. I'm cursed, loathed, and damned." He retorted acerbically, but amidst all that, something in his voice showed pain, as if he felt remorse for what he did.

"But you know what, Sakura? I was right about one thing, and that one thing matters greatly because that is loving you."

Sakura ceased crying and fell silent with shock. She was awed with his every word but out of all that he said, she was moved by the very fact that he loved her. In all those years apart, he felt the very same thing she did.

"S-sa-sasuke" She didn't know what to say. Sensing that she might just be mute for the whole night, Sasuke neared her and undid the ropes at the same time apologizing for tying her. "I was worried you might escape or attack me." He reasoned as he laughed lightly. When his eyes met the depths of Sakura's, all he could do was kiss her trembling lips.

And for that night, Sasuke actually did something right in his life.

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**My guts are telling me this actually _sucks_. *Sigh. Next time, I won't make a fic while watching Snow White on TV...or while watching, in general. **

**Commenting is up to you but I'd really appreciate it if you did. No matter how negative it is. :)**

**_~Thanks_  
**


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